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Gov. Tom Wolf rescinds 46 Executive Orders

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Gov. Tom Wolf today announced that he will rescind 46 outdated and unnecessary executive orders by previous administrations – some...
Wolf Keystone Exam

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Gov. Tom Wolf today announced that he will rescind 46 outdated and unnecessary executive orders by previous administrations – some dating back 30 years – to continue his efforts to clean-up state government. Outdated orders include those from seven previous Governors starting with Gov. Milton Shapp.

“My administration is prioritizing cleaning up state government and eliminating waste, outdated policies and duplicative bureaucracy,” Governor Tom Wolf said. “Taking this step to streamline government and remove unnecessary directives allows for the executive branch to continue to lead by example in state government, as we have on ethics, government reform and curbing special interest influence.”

Removing three decades of outdated executive orders that are no longer relevant or have been superseded by legislation or other executive actions is part of Governor Wolf’s priority to modernize state government. Over the past two years, Governor Wolf’s GO-TIME initiative has saved $156 million, spurred innovation and launched new and revamped programs to improve customer service in state government.

Many of the executive actions being rescinded include boards, task forces, programs and commissions that no longer exist, including a Sustainable Water Infrastructure task force that never reconvened and a Public Safety Communications Council that was never actually established. In the case of Executive Order 1996-07, the Pennsylvania Center for Environmental Education was defunded and closed in 2011, but the executive order remained in place.

Many other orders created policies that have either been codified in statute, superseded by new legislation or are no longer necessary. A full list of the outdated executive orders are below.

Issuance Number Name Issuance Date Explanation for Rescinding
1977-04 Compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 8/3/1977 This is no longer an ongoing program.
1978-19 Access by Handicapped Individuals to Meeting Locations 12/19/1978 EO supplanted by Management Directory 205.26 in 1992, implementing the ADA. Section 5 e. addresses the requirement to select accessible sites for agency programs and activities.
1979-10 Commonwealth Child Development Committee 7/25/1979 This committee no longer exists.
1980-04 Golden Keystone Discount Card Program 2/27/1980 This program no longer exists.
1980-05 Task Force on Employment Services to Displaced Homemakers 2/28/1980 Efforts now encompassed by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
1980-07 Small Business Service Center 2/29/1980 This program no longer exists. DCED now has Small Business Champions.
1981-04 Federal Program Coordination 2/9/1981 EO is unnecessary for the Office of Budget to perform its duties.
1981-06 Pennsylvania Department of Health Advisory Board of Arthritis 5/22/1981 Any arthritis work within DOH is funded and guided by the CDC.
1981-13 Governor’s Committee on Employment of the Handicapped 10/19/1981 EO goals now covered by EO 2016-03 and existing statutes.
1986-05 Standby Allocations of the Volume Cap Under the Tax Reform Act of 1986 10/2/1986 EO now superseded by 2007 state statute 73 P.S. 400.2701 et seq.
1987-01 1986 Allocations of the Unified Volume Cap Under the Tax Reform Act of 1986 1/7/1987 EO now superseded by 2007 state statute 73 P.S. 400.2701 et seq.
1987-08 Pennsylvania Emergency Response Commission 4/20/1987 The content of the EO was either codified or superseded by statute, specifically, Act 165 of 1990.
1987-12 Cultural Advisor to the Governor 5/27/1987 Position no longer exists.
1987-19 Delegation to Department of Environmental Resources Compliance with Federal Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act 12/21/1987 The Low Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Act supersedes and encompasses the goals of this EO.
1989-08 Municipal Waste Reduction and Planning Program 10/17/1989 This EO was issued prior to development of Municipal and Residual regulations.
1990-01 Municipal Waste Transportation Enforcement Program 3/14/1990 No longer necessary due to the passage of the Waste Transportation Safety Act of 2002 (Act 90).
1990-04 UNITED STATES BRIG NIAGARA – Flagship of Pennsylvania 8/17/1990 Content of the EO has been codified in Section 705 of the History Code.
1991-05 Environmental Training Partnership 4/22/1991 Training is managed through a DCED contract with PSATS with DEP oversight.
1994-02 Governor’s Office of PennPORTS 3/29/1994 PennDOT’s multimodal deputate now maintains jurisdiction and all duties pertaining to the ports.
1994-04 Governor’s Committee on Education Standards and Assessment 5/18/1994 The EO set a 1994 due date for a report. The standards and assessments recommended in the report were implemented.
1994-05 Nursing Home Loan Agency’s Authorization to Sell Loans 11/4/1994 The work required in this EO was completed many years ago.
1995-02 As Amended Drug Policy Planning Coordination 12/19/1997 Gave PCCD duties relating to the coordination of commonwealth drug policy.  The duties were superseded by the creation of DDAP.
1995-06 Governor’s Community Partnership for Safe Children 9/14/1995 The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has since been created within PCCD to carry out these functions.
1995-07 Governor’s Executive Council on Recycling Development and Waste Reduction 10/11/1995 This EO was issued prior to development of Municipal and Residual Regulations.
1995-08 Governor’s Advisory Commission on Public School Finance 10/11/1995 The Advisory Commission completed its work in May 1996, when it submitted the report required in the EO.
1995-10 Governor’s Sports and Exposition Facilities Task Force 10/27/1995 Four professional sports stadiums were built in the late 1990s as a result of this EO. No further action is required.
1996-02 Implementation of the IMPACCT Commission Recommendations 4/19/1996 Replaced with the Governor’s cost savings measures.
1996-05 Municipal Waste Facilities Review Program 8/29/1996 This EO directed DEP and PennDOT to review and revise existing waste transportation and  management policies. This work has been completed.
1996-06 Governor’s Advisory Commission on Academic Standards 9/30/1996 The Commonwealth has adopted the standards required by this EO.
1996-07 Pennsylvania Center for Environmental Education 12/20/1996 Center closed in 2011 as a result of the elimination of all state funding.  All resources were transferred to the PA Association of Environmental Educators
1997-01 Governor’s Travel and Tourism Council 3/17/1997 No longer in existence, superseded by statutorily mandated PA Travel and Tourism Partnership and DCED’s Tourism Office
2000-02 Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board 2/14/2000 EO superseded by the current state Workforce Development Board, whose functions and membership are mandated by the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
2002-02 As Amended Governor’s Task Force on Early Childhood Care and Education 7/15/2002 EO Codified at 4 Pa. Code Sec. 6.61 – 6.69
2002-08 Governor’s Interagency Task Force on Energy 7/18/2002 Task force no longer exists.
2003-12 Governor’s Cabinet on Children and Families 9/18/2003 This group no longer meets.
2004-03 and 2004-03 Revision No. 1 Pennsylvania Business Tax Reform Commission 3/4/2004 Commission no longer in existence.
2004-07 Financial Education and Literacy 4/29/2004 Office no longer utilized and subsequent programs have replaced.
2004-11 Pennsylvania Election Reform Task Force 12/13/2004 The Task Force completed its work on May 12, 2005, when it submitted its final report.
2006-07 Governor’s Pandemic Advisory Council 7/27/2006 Advisory Council is no longer active.
2006-11 Governor’s Dog Law Advice Group 12/22/2006 This EO, and the 8-person Board created by it, are no longer necessary, since there is now a 25-member Dog Law Advisory Board
2007-05 Chronic Care Management, Reimbursement and Cost Reduction Commission 5/21/2007 Commission was transferred from Governor’s Office to DOH, which has replaced it with the Health Innovation deputate.
2008-02 As Amended Sustainable Water Infrastructure Task Force 4/28/2008 The Task Force completed its work on November 1, 2008, when it submitted its final report.
2008-04 Pennsylvania All-Hazard Incident Management (PA-IMT3) 5/13/2008 The commission established by the EO is non-operational.
2011-07 Pennsylvania Dairy Leadership Council 9/28/2011 This EO will be rescinded because it is no longer in effect.
2011-08 Interagency Coordination Advisory Group for Economic Development 10/6/2011 Advisory Group no longer meets.
2014-06 Interoperable Public Safety and Emergency Communications Governance 12/2/2014 This council was never established and there is a governance board for FirstNet, which functions well without the guidance from this EO.

SOURCE: Governor’s Press Office

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